Bolivia has begun enforcing a ban on cellphones in classrooms as the school year gets underway, with the policy covering pupils of all ages in both public and private schools, according to The Associated Press. Children and teachers are being asked to keep phones in lockers or in bags while lessons are under way.
The measure is presented by the government as a classroom-management policy rather than an anti-technology campaign. President Rodrigo Paz, who took office in November after last year’s election, said he is not opposed to technology. Instead, he said his administration wants to improve the quality of connectivity available to students and to keep phones from competing with instruction during class time.
Paz linked the policy to broader efforts to expand access to education technology. He said his government is working to improve internet connectivity for rural schools through satellite links. In remarks reported by AP, he said he would not provide Wi-Fi for entertainment, but for learning and access to knowledge.
The cellphone restriction arrives as Bolivia faces wider infrastructure and connectivity challenges. The AP report said the country has some of the lowest internet speeds in the region and has long relied on a Chinese-built satellite, Tupac Katari, which is now aging and has limited capabilities. Last year, the Paz administration lifted a ban on foreign-owned internet satellite providers that had been imposed by the previous government.
Bolivia is not acting alone. The AP report said countries including Brazil, France and South Korea have already implemented school cellphone bans in an effort to reduce distractions and improve student attention spans. Bolivia’s version, however, is notable for its breadth, covering both private and public institutions and extending to all ages.
That scope suggests the government is aiming for a standard rule rather than a local pilot or a partial restriction. The supplied evidence does not say how the policy will be enforced in each school, what penalties would apply for repeated violations, or whether exceptions exist for medical or accessibility needs. It does show that the ban was being implemented at the same moment the school year began.
The policy also reflects a political shift. Paz’s administration is still early in its term after two decades of rule by the left-wing Movement Toward Socialism. The AP report frames the cellphone rule as one of the first visible education measures under the new government, alongside a promise to improve digital access in classrooms.
In practical terms, the policy could change the atmosphere in Bolivian classrooms quickly: phones put away, fewer interruptions, and a clearer distinction between school time and personal screen time. Whether it improves attention and learning is a longer-term question the supplied report does not answer.
